Federal Front or Mahagathbandhan, Who Will Win Against NDA?

As K Chandrashekhar Rao ramps up efforts to form a Federal Front, can KCR disrupt Rahul Gandhi’s calculations?

KCR (left) and Rahul Gandhi (right).

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, on 24 December met his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee and said his mission was to form a non-Congress, non-BJP front and that a concrete plan would be unveiled soon.

A day earlier, Rao had met his Odisha counterpart, Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar as part of his series of meetings with regional leaders, and is scheduled to meet former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhliesh Yadav in the coming week.

He has also extended invitation to BSP Chief Mayawati for talks on the formation of a “Federal Front.”

Roa has described his meetings with the regional leaders as a "dire need" for unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections, however, political analysts are skeptical of its future.

Speaking to BloombergQuint's Tamanna Inamdar, political analysts Krishna Prasad and Neerja Chowdhury discussed during the "Primetime Debate", that whether KCR's Federal Front can disrupt Rahul Gandhi led "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance).

Initiating the debate, Chowdhury said that in theory, KCR’s Federal Front is an alternative to ruling BJP and opposition Congress, however, in the long run, it will aid the saffron party.

“For KCR, the main adversary in Telangana is Congress. Congress’ alliance with Chandrababu Naidu didn’t do well and KCR did very well... He (KCR) has made it very clear that he will now move to Delhi and it also possible that might install his son as the CM in his place.”

Neerja Chowdhury, Political commentator 

Meanwhile, Krishna Prasad cautioned that KCR's attempts to form a third front is a “non-starter.” He indicated that KCR's attempts to forge alliance with Banerjee and Patnaik “may not work well” as Telangana has only 17 Lok Sabha seats, which puts it in an insignificant position against the regional giants.

KCR’s hands are tied. Of course, he has won a spectacular victory, but its hands are tied because Congress has shut its doors by aligning with TDP. Similarly, KCR himself has shut his own doors with BJP by aligning with AIIMM in Telangana.

Krishna Prasad, Political analyst

Participating in the discussion, JD (U) veteran leader and member of the BJP led NDA, KC Tyagi indicated that Congress led grand alliance will fail irrespective of the emergence of a third front, due to its “big brother” attitude, which will be unacceptable to its allies.